August 18 - September 15
Reception: August 18th, 5 - 7pm
67 Ceramic Artists
To view artist's work click on their name
Exhibiting Artists
Best of Show
2nd Place
3rd Place
Stuart Asprey
Brad Bachmeier
Posey Bacopoulos
Melissa Bland
Zygote Blum
Angelique Brickner
Robin Burlingham
Lyndsey Fryman
J. Shiloh Gastello
Anthony Maki Gill
Christine Golden
Rosalinda Grejsen
Perry Haas
Jennifer Hansen
Ross Hilgers
Bryan Hiveley
Tom Jaszczak
Shin-Yeon Jeon
Chris Kanyusik
Judith Berk King
Miriam Loory Krombach
Marina Kuchinski
Victoria Rose Martin
Nancy Oliveri
Matthew Patton
Lee Puffer
Elaine Rasmussen
John H. Reed
Chris Riccardo
Brett Roberts
Tammie Rubin
Arthur Sekula
Jose Sierra
Steven Skinner
Bruce Smallwood
Exhibition Juror
Director of Sculpture in Craft Media, New York University
Juror's Statement
Excited anticipation best describes the emotion I feel when called upon to jury an open call. The surprise of not knowing who or what will show up and relying upon the vagaries of serendipitous good fortune to assist in the task of making the final selections, while no easy feat, is always a worthwhile endeavor. I love the discovery of new talent, fresh expression and the eclectic mix that such calls uncover.
When I curate or write articles, I have control over outcomes as I work to develop the themes that exemplify the concepts I want to convey. Open calls, on the other hand, have no such defining constraints, and distilling the final images from among hundreds is, to me, akin to the process wherein Balsamic vinegar emerges as the blissful essence that makes the process worthwhile.
I wish to thank all who submitted work for Visions In Clay. You all have obviously been seduced by this expressive material and have demonstrated how it continues to inform you. I know how much I was informed by having the privilege of viewing your considerable achievements. There was a wonderful mix of ceramic expression – from vessels to the more conceptual – and the work was at a high level and suffused with significant ideas.
These ideas are consistent with current trends in contemporary ceramic art: objects that reflect cultural or social commentary, figuration, and well executed functional ware. I was impressed once again by the power of clay to be a profoundly diverse medium of expression.
It was also encouraging to find splendid examples of fine vessel making. The art of craft is still very much alive and the viewer will find extraordinarily beautiful and pleasing functional work to admire, reflecting every conceivable method of firing and types of clay.
For the finalists, I chose three totally different orientations to the material...conceptual, figural and a vessel form. Clay was the catalyst, but the winners are unique in their approach with each demonstrating a stimulating and unique vision coupled with superb craftsmanship.
The first prize awarded to "Yesterday's Tomorrow" by Dylan Beck, is a perceptive distillation of the historic use of clay in decorative architecture juxtaposed to the rather dreary, cold and lifeless metal that surrounds us today. Some of our country's finest historic landmarks made use of the beauty and detail of architectural terra-cotta ornamentation and this work reminds us of a faded industry, and the social and political fallout of urban sprawl.
My second award to "Great Steed of Greed" by Merry Arttoones is a rather grisly, demonic and satiric look at our society's ills, whether they be in politics, on Wall Street, or in the housing market. In the guise of humor, we are confronted with the harsh realities that money, power and greed often engender.
The third prize awarded to "Sunflower Desert Series" by Lee Middleman, is a remarkable technical tour-de-force vessel – voluptuous and prickly at the same time. It is comforting to know that the great tradition of pottery is alive and well in the hands of a skilled artist who can make soft clay respond with such beauty and abstraction of nature. It represents vessel making at its finest.
I am delighted to have worked with San Joaquin Delta College and particularly with Jan Marlese, the Gallery Director. Visions In Clay demonstrates that ceramic art is not only a vibrant art form, but that the field thrives when it has such a supportive environment as the LH Horton Jr Gallery.